That Chanel's hair-powdered showman Karl Lagerfeld rocked up late to the Dior Homme show — as is tradition — it raised no eyebrows, triggering a run-of-the-mill media scrum.

What was unexpected, however, was the octogenarian chatting and laughing so visibly all the way through the show with Bernard Arnault, the head of LVMH, who own Dior and are considered the rivals of Chanel's Wertheimer family. Lagerfeld's eccentric gesticulations with his gloved hands distracted guests. (Lagerfeld is also the designer for LVMH's Fendi.)

Also on the front row, were actor Ansel Elgort who wore a Dior Homme beige cotton-silk rain coat with raw-edged black leather, and rapper Kid Cudi who wore a Dior Homme navy polo shirt with contrasting gray collar. They behaved with more decorum.

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DIOR HOMME GOES SOUTH

Kris Van Assche mixed the staple tailored business suits of the Dior man with a spattering of the easel of southern French bohemian artists.

And, to make sure every foreign French cliche in the book was covered, they knitted an image of Cosette from "Les Miserables" on a sweater, created stylish modernist-style bags based on architect Le Corbusier, and plastered the Eiffel Tower on prints alongside oversized blue polka dots on a loose silk shirt or a wild double-breasted jacket.

Some exaggerated parkas that featured in the show could have come in useful for dripping guests, who were victims of an unexpected summer rainstorm.

HERMES' FASHION POETRY

Hermes' program notes always read like a poem and it says much for the brand.

What set this 43-piece-strong collection apart were its delicate speckled sweaters, its pointed vertical belt strap ends and its beautiful prints on sweater, pants and cagoules that resembled fractures in a rock.

SACAI

One of Japan's most popular luxury brands, Sacai explored the concept of overlay in their spring-summer presentation.

Different to layering, Sacai overlayed intentionally different colors and textures in layers and patchwork with myriad different garments sometimes in the same look.

A baggy blue-gray utilitarian cotton pullover with pockets cut from another garment came on top of a long striped navy tunic.

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